Balzan will be going all out to mark their debut in UEFA competitions with a spirited showing when they meet Bosnia’s FK Zeljeznicar this evening in the first leg of their Europa League first qualifying round match at the Hibernians Stadium (kick-off 17.45).
Oliver Spiteri, the Balzan coach, is aware that his team face an uphill struggle to match the experienced Bosnians but is eyeing a positive result in today’s home encounter to keep the tie alive ahead of next week’s second leg in Sarajevo.
“Our aim is to keep our hopes alive,” Spiteri said.
“We will be looking to obtain a respectable result to stay in contention ahead of the second leg.”
While Spiteri has been working hard to prepare his troops in the best way possible for the European tests, he lamented the difficulties encountered in the build-up to today’s game.
“The preparations in Malta are very difficult and this applies to all the local teams competing in Europe,” Spiteri observed.
“Since the 1998-2000 period when I experienced European football as a player, things have not changed.
“Maltese clubs have to sort out their squad in a very short time as the domestic championship finishes late and the players are away with the national team in early June.
“We have done fitness tests and some of our players are not yet ready to last 90 minutes at this level.
“Besides, Bojan Kaljevic is out of the home match as he is still recovering from an ankle injury, Ryan Fenech is suspended and Gianmarco Piccioni, another important player for us last season, has left the club.”
The loss of two prominent players like Kaljevic, who scored 12 goals for Balzan last season after joining from Mosta in January, and new signing Fenech, who was sent off in Valletta’s return Champions League match against Qarabag last year, would represent a setback for any club, let alone Balzan who have no experience of European football.
Forced to make do without Kaljevic and Piccioni, the towering strikers who terrorised Premier League defences last season, Spiteri is likely to deploy Lydon Micallef in attack.
Despite these significant absences, Spiteri is confident that his players will rise to the challenge.
“The players have shown commitment in training,” Spiteri said.
“Over the past week, we have had double training sessions every day and the players have put in a great effort.
“We’ve worked very hard and I’m sure that the players will rise to the occasion.
“In the third round of the Premier League last season, we had some injuries but the team showed character to overcome those difficulties. I expect more of the same in these two games.”
With Kaljevic sidelined, Piccioni likely to sign for Polish club Korona Kielce, and Colombian winger Oscar Guerrero released, Spiteri is likely to have only four foreigners in his starting XI today.
These are Colombian defender Elkin Serrano, midfielders Edison Bilbao Zarate, from Chile, and Nigerian Ice-Cream Guobadia, and Italian goalkeeper Valerio Senatore, signed in the close season after a spell with Floriana.
Spiteri was hoping to get the all-clear to field Nigerian striker Godwin Mensha who sealed his move to Balzan last weekend.
Another striker, Montenegrin Aleksander Vujacic, has also agreed terms to join Balzan but the 25-year-old will play no part in today’s game.
Balzan may be the underdogs but Spiteri intends to stick to his attacking principles.
“We will try to play our usual game,” Spiteri, a finalist for the coach of the year accolade in the 2014/15 MFA Awards, said.
“The players who have been training with me for the past year are familiar with my philosophy and know what I expect from them.
“There is no point changing the system for just one game.”
Unlike Balzan, FK Zeljeznicar have figured regularly in European competitions.
Last year, Zeljeznicar, who finished runners-up in the Bosnian league, beat Montenegro’s FK Lovcen 1-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of the Europa League but, in the next stage, they were knocked out by Metalurg Skopje, of Macedonia, on the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw.
Having studied Zeljeznicar closely, Spiteri has identified forward Riad Bajic as their most dangerous player.
“Their no.8, Bajic, is a very good player,” Spiteri said.
“He’s the captain of the Bosnia U-21 team. Most of Zeljeznicar’s attacks pass through him. Bajic is very fast and uses both feet.
“Two other players who caught my eye are Ognjen Delmic, who plays in midfield, and striker Zoran Kokot.
“These are the stand-out players but Zeljeznicar are strong as a team. They are very disciplined, tactically.
“Last season, they missed out on the title by three points. They didn’t score a lot but conceded few goals which really says all about strength at the back.”
Squad unity
Dylan Grima knows that Zeljeznicar will be tough customers but the Balzan captain is approaching the game with a positive mindset.
“It’s going to be a difficult match but we’re not giving up,” Grima told the pre-match news conference.
“Our strength is the unity we have in the dressing room.
“We are going to do our best to produce a good performance.
“We want to do this for Balzan but we also want to do well for Malta because we’re representing the country in this competition.”
Referee: Dennis Antamo (Finland FA).